The present invention relates generally to a key actuated mechanism, and while the following description refers primarily to a magnetic key actuated lock, the mechanism may be used for other purposes as set forth in the above abstract of the invention.
The present device is an improvement on such devices shown in Fenner, U.S. Pat. No. 428,247 and Allender, U.S. Pat. No. 3,056,276. In the earlier patent, and as best shown in FIG. 5, the tumblers are arranged to be magnetically actuated upon insertion of a key head and caused to swing about their fixed pivot points so as to be brought into alignment with the openings 30 thereby releasing the lock. In the later patent, the unlocking operation is also conducted by a magnetic key means which causes the metallic needles that are capable of being influenced by a magnetic field to float into proper alignment with apertures in a plate that is reciprocated toward the needles when the proper key means is used.
Thus the prior art shows magnetically positioned tumblers which are aligned with holes in a lock bolt to permit movement of the bolt with the alignment of the tumblers being accomplished by a magnetic key placed adjacent to the lock to align the tumblers with the openings in the bolt.
In the prior art referred to above, the magnets to actuate the magnetic tumblers are either aligned in a straight line, or are positioned, as in the case of Allander, in a rectangular array. In accordance with the present invention, the magnets are confined on the planar surface of a circular or cylindrical key which provides an even more infinite number of combinations than has heretofore been possible.